Games official sacked by Kalmadi is reinstated

The government has reinstated Sanjiv Mittal, a financial expert who was ousted from the Commonwealth Games (CWG) organizing committee by its chairman Suresh Kalmadi almost a fortnight back in what was perceived at the time as a snub to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

The defence ministry issued an order dated 2 March asking the CWG organizing committee to allow Mittal to stay on.

“As per direction of the cabinet secretariat, Mittal should continue in the department on the post for which he was selected,” according to the order, said an official familiar with the development, who did not want to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue.

he order also says Mittal should remain in the post till the conclusion of the 3-14 October Games. He told Mint he resumed work at the organizing committee on Wednesday after receiving the order.

Attempts to reach Kalmadi on his cellphone failed.

A Congress member of Parliament, Kalmadi had on 19 February terminated the services of Mittal, who had been appointed by the PMO to oversee preparations for the Games. Mint had reported on 23 February that Mittal’s services had been terminated after he declined to approve certain financial transactions.

Mittal, a 1984 Indian Defence Accounts Service official, was expected to head the finance department in the organizing committee. He, along with two other officers, was appointed by the cabinet secretariat in November to help ensure the Games are held on schedule.

The appointments were made after the Prime Minister decided to get involved in the process of preparing the Capital for the Games, seeking to avert potential embarrassment in case of shoddy preparations for India’s biggest sporting event in around 30 years.